Ron Paul is Not the Ideal Tea Party Candidate

Allahpundit is shocked — shocked — that Tea Party activists are going after Ron Paul by putting up primary challengers. He sees Paul as a small-government libertarian that should fit right into the Tea Party movement. In fact, Paul looks at himself as the founder of the movement (incorrectly so). While Paul may appeal to some wacko libertarian-minded nuts who want to abandon our monetary system in favor of gold-backed greenbacks (which would be problematic from a growth standpoint), he is not a friend of small-government conservatism in other ways. He is an earmark king, and he is a complete wack job. He espouses conspiracy theories such as birtherism and the idea that Bush was trying to create a North American superstate with Canada and Mexico. He is also dangerous in the arena of foreign policy, taking an isolationist view. He is bad for the movement, and plays into the worst stereotypes about Conservatism. We would do well if he were primaried.

The story referenced by Allahpundit also contains something else that does concern me about the Tea Party movement. It states that Paul has “multiple challengers” who claim the Tea Party banner. For the movement to be successful, I think that it needs to function as a sub-party within the GOP. The Tea Parties in districts should organize, and choose one particular candidate to back in the GOP primary. That way, they don’t risk the possibility of splitting the vote among those who claim to represent the Tea Party, much like what happened in the Illinois primaries. In any case, the Tea Party should back a candidate in this race, and Ron Paul should not be that candidate.